The Branches of Time
by A-Study-In-Magic
Summary: Upon landing in a parallel universe, the Doctor, Sarah Jane, Rose and Mickey soon discover creatures lurking in the shadows made for only one purpose - to re-engineer humans.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** This story takes place directly after, _'Their Darkest Hour'_.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

...

The feel of a warm body beneath her, caused Sarah Jane to open her eyes to see the Doctor still peacefully asleep. She still couldn't quite believe that this was happening. It was surreal to think that the Doctor could even have feelings for her, especially after all these years. He had so many opportunities to move on, to forget her, yet it seemed he had clung onto her memory, and the time they shared. Giving a fond smile, she moved slightly feeling his arms pulling her tighter against him, before settling to sleep once again.

She didn't want to leave his embrace, but the dull throbbing pain in her shoulder was becoming unbearable. She knew she shouldn't have slept on it, even though the Doctor had managed to heal it, it was still painful enough to wake her.

"Doctor." She gently called out hating to wake him, but she needed to move. "Doctor."

When she received no answer, she inwardly sighed and tried to move one of his arms which seemed to cling onto her for dear life.

"This is getting ridiculous," Sarah muttered looking up at him, seeing a small smile on his face.

"You're awake, aren't you?"

"Now, what gave you that idea?" He opened one eye, before closing it again.

"Really." Sarah huffed. "Well, since you're awake I can now get something for this pain on my shoulder."

His eyes snapped open, his smile disappearing as he looked down at her in worry. "How bad?"

"It's just a dull throbbing. Nothing to worry about, it's just uncomfortable." Sarah reassured him.

"Stay here; I'll be back in a moment." He released his hold on her and rolled her over slightly before jumping up from the bed and running from the room leaving Sarah staring after him.

Sitting up, she moved her shoulder in small circular movements trying to loosen the tightened muscles. She guessed it was her fault for allowing herself to get stabbed by the clockwork droids blade. It was a few moments, when she heard the sound of running footsteps approach, only to see the Doctor re-enter her room holding a small circular tub in his hands.

He approached the bed, and sat down behind her, pacing the tub down next to him. "You'll need to remove your blouse, Sarah."

Sarah, turned, trying not to feel embarrassed, but it was proving difficult when she could feel his eyes on her as she undid the buttons on her blouse. Once the last button had come undone, she began to remove it, when she felt the Doctor's hands on top of her own.

"Let me help."

The two of them managed to remove her blouse, revealing a bright red mark that covered most of her shoulder.

"How bad is it?" Sarah asked, feeling his hands start to gently massage the muscles, making her give a small sigh in relief.

"Not bad per say, but you'll be in pain for a few days."

"I suppose it's better than the alternative."

The Doctor never answered, knowing how close he had nearly come to losing her. He tried not to think about it, but it was impossible not to. He had promised he would protect her, but he had broken that promise, and he hated himself for it.

"Doctor?"

"Right, yes, sorry got lost for a moment there." He removed his hands from her shoulders and reached down for the small tub he had brought back with him.

"This should help, it's a healing salve I got from Horgass IV. Lovely planet. It's made up of tropical rainforests and vast beaches. It's home to the Taulians."

"What's a Taulian?" Sarah asked in curiosity.

"There are quite peaceful creatures, and very advanced with their scientific knowledge and evolved a sense of morality. They gave me some of their medical supplies as payment for helping them with a cure they were developing for a disease that was sweeping through their colony."

He opened the lid, then dipped his fingers into the yellow paste and started to apply it to Sarah's shoulder, gently rubbing it in.

Sarah felt a small tingling on her skin for a few moments; then the pain was gone.

"How?"

"The paste seeps into the skin and numbs the pain right at the source. It usually lasts about six hours before wearing off."

"Thank you."

"Anytime, Sarah." He pressed a soft kiss to her shoulder, then moved to let her get dressed.

Once she was presentable, she reached for her boots she had discarded earlier and quickly put them on.

"Where do you think Mickey and Rose have got to?" Sarah asked, standing up, watching as the Doctor, concentrated on trying to get the knot undone from his laces.

"No idea, probably still exploring the Tardis." He wiggled the lace, trying to get the knot free.

"Oh, give it here," Sarah said pulling the converse from his hands, and quickly undid the knot and handed the trainer back to him with a smile.

"Have I told you're amazing?"

"You may have done, but one never gets tired of hearing it."

"I'll keep that in mind… There we are, all done." He stood up with a smile. "Now, where to next?"

Sarah crossed her arms over her chest with a raised eyebrow. "I thought we agreed that you were to speak to, Rose."

"Did we?" He rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh no, don't even try it. You need to speak with Rose. Unless a part of you feels the same."

"What?"

"Doctor, I know I'm not the only person who has had your hearts. You've met and travelled with so many people who you care for and love in your own way. If you would rather be with Rose, then I'll understand and stand aside. I've only ever wanted you to be happy and have someone by your side. But if you don't feel that way about her, it's not fair to lead her on."

"You're right, but I'm going to hurt her no matter what I do, Sarah. She was the first person I travelled with after the Time War…"

"And you don't want her to hate or leave you."

"I always forget you can read me like a book."

"I've had years of practice." Sarah smiled, reaching out to take his hand, squeezing it gently. "But you need to tell her. Sooner rather than later."

"I will, I promise. I just need to find a way to approach the subject."

Sarah leaned up and pressed a tender kiss to his lips. "You'll think of something, you always do. It just one of the many things I love about you."

The Doctor beamed at hearing her words, feeling giddy inside wondering if he could love this woman any more than he already did.

"And speaking of Rose, I think it's time we find her and Mickey. They're probably wondering where we got to."

"They'll probably…" The doctor started only to feel himself being thrown back as an unknown force slammed into the Tardis.

Struggling to his feet, he saw Sarah, on the other side of the room, trying to stand, as the Tardis trembled and shook.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Sarah called out, just as the sound of an explosion echoed through the Tardis.

The Doctor managed to get to his feet and ran over to Sarah, helping her to stand.

"Wait here." He ordered before running out of the room and towards the console room seeing flames and sparks flying everywhere.

Ignoring the heat of the flames, he tried frantically to operate the console.

"What's happened?" Rose shouted running over to him, while Mickey stood in the doorway looking on in worry.

"The time vortex is gone! That's impossible; it's just gone." The Doctor yelled feeling the Tardis start to spin out of control.

Mickey turned when he saw Sarah running towards him, bracing herself against the wall trying to keep herself upright. Reaching out for her, he grabbed her arm, and pulled her towards him, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"What's going on?"

"Something about the time vortex disappearing."

Sarah's eyes widened in disbelief. "How is that possible?"

The sound of Rose's shou of 'Doctor?' caused Sarah to look over at the Time Lord seeing the fear in his eyes.

"Brace yourself! We're going to crash!"

Time seemed to stand still as the Tardis started to pick up speed, causing them to be thrown forwards as the Tardis crashed into the unknown.

The lights flickered before going out, cloaking the ship in darkness.

The ship fell silent as the console continued to shoot out small sparks giving the ship the only sign of life.

A few moments passed, when suddenly the Doctor let out a groan, pulling himself up from the floor, and unconsciously rubbing the back of his head.

"Everyone alright? Sarah? Rose? Mickey?"

"I'm fine," Rose replied, giving the Doctor a grateful look as he helped her to her feet.

"Doctor, a little help would be helpful right about now."

The Doctor ran over to Sarah, seeing her trapped under the unmoving form of Mickey.

"You alright?" He kneeled down next to her and gently rolled the younger man off her.

"I am, thanks to Mickey. I swear that boy has a hero complex." Sarah muttered, sitting up as she watched the Doctor examine him.

"Will he be alright?" Sarah asked in worry, at seeing the deep cut on his forehead.

"He'll be fine." The Time Lord reassured her. "I need you to watch over him, while I check the Tardis' engines and rotor."

"Do you have an idea of what caused it?"

"No, but I'm going to find out." He promised as he ran back over to the console.

Sarah and Rose watched as he ran around the console pushing and pulling leavers, as he tried to bring the Tardis back to life.

"No, no, no." He hissed angrily, kicking the base of the console.

"What's wrong?"

The Doctor looked over at them, his face void of all emotion. "She's dead. The Tardis is dead."

"Surely you can fix her?" Rose asked biting her nails.

"There's nothing to fix. She's perished. The last Tardis in the universe extinct."

"She can't be," Sarah said in denial. "What about K9 surely he can get her started again?"

The Doctor shook his head sadly, even if he did, he would need a small energy source, but there's nothing. The Tardis as of now is nothing but a Police Box."

"But we can get help…" Rose voiced with uncertainty.

"Where from?"

"Well, we've landed, we've gotta be somewhere."

"Rose, we fell out of the vortex, through the void into nothingness. We're in some sort of no place… the silent realm… the lost dimension with no way back."

Sarah had never seen the Doctor seem so defeated, and it broke her heart to see him in such a state. She could feel tears gather in her eyes, just as a small groan came from the body next to her. Looking down, she saw Mickey's eyes open.

"How are you feeling?" Sarah whispered helping him sit up.

"Like I've been hit by a truck," Mickey muttered touching the cut on his head causing him to hiss in pain. "What's happening?"

"We're not too sure. The Doctor thinks the Tardis is dead."

Mickey sat there unsure if he heard her right. The way Rose spoke about the Tardis, it seemed indestructible. How could she be dead? He wondered, as he shakily got to his feet with Sarah's help.

"So, where are we?" Mickey asked slowly walking over to the Tardis doors, with Sarah following behind him.

"We don't know," Sarah replied looking over at the Doctor who was still preoccupied with Rose and the Tardis console.

"Well, only one way to find out." Mickey pushed open the Tardis doors causing him to give a joyful laugh at seeing the familiar scenery.

"We crashed landed in London."

"What?" Sarah exclaimed.

"See for yourself." He grinned moving out the way so she could look outside.

Sarah, stood at the age of the doors seeing Big Ben in the distance, realising they were next to the Thames. Looking back over at the Doctor, she bit her lip before taking a step outside.

"It looks like London." She looked up at the sky, seeing about forty zeppelins flying overhead. "Or not."

"What the hell?" Mickey said standing next to her, looking around seeing a paper lying on the bench. Picking it up, he looked at the date noticing it read, 1st February 2006.'

"It's the same year," Mickey called out to Sarah, who looked over at him just as confused.

"It can't be, Mickey. It's virtually impossible. I don't remember seeing flying Zeppelins in the sky after leaving Deffry Vale."

"Unless we're in a parallel London, which would explain the Zeppelins."

Sarah rubbed her arms feeling an icy chill go through her.

"That's all well and good, but how do we get back to our world?"

"No, idea. But we had best tell the Doctor about this." Mickey said as they both walked into the Tardis causing the Time Lord to look over at them his face unreadable.

"You need to see this, Doctor." Mickey walked over to him handing over the newspaper.

The Doctor took it from his hands, his eyes quickly scanning it. "Impossible."

"Well, perhaps not impossible. Mickey has a theory." Sarah told him, "And I think he could be right."

"Really and what theory would this be?"

"We've landed in a parallel Earth. It would explain the flying Zeppelin's in the sky at any rate."

"You both left the Tardis without telling me. Anything could have been out there. You both could have been killed. I thought you would have more common sense, Sarah! It seems you're still as reckless as ever! You're old enough to know better!"

Sarah bristled at his comment, feeling Rose and Mickey's eyes on her. "What's that supposed to mean? That just because I'm older you want me to set an example is that it? Or would you rather I stay behind in the Tardis, while the three of you go off gallivanting, afraid that I'll slow you down?!"

"Sarah, that's not what I meant…"

"No, because you have a funny way of showing it. If I'm reckless and lack common sense, why bother even asking me to come along?"

"You know why." The Doctor told her softly.

"I thought I did, but now... Now, I'm not so sure of your intentions." Sarah turned and walked out of the console room ignoring the Doctor's pleas for her to come back.

"You've done it now." Mickey told him. "You better go and apologise to her."

Rose placed her hand on the Doctor's arm giving him some comfort. "Mickey's right, but perhaps you should let her cool off for an hour."

Mickey looked over at her; his eyes narrowed wondering what she was planning.

The Doctor, stared after Sarah, wishing he could take back his words. He knew she was more than capable of looking after herself, but that didn't stop him worrying. He needed to apologise to her sooner rather than later.

/*\\*/*\

Sarah walked down the darkened Tardis corridors, no idea where she was going. The hallways were long and vast and seemed never-ending. As she turned to her right, she saw a double set of doors in front of her. Pushing them open her eyes widened in shock at what she was seeing. The faint light coming from the old console, cast a dark glow against the familiar white circular room.

As she walked around the console, her mind was assaulted with various memories of her past adventures, almost making her feel like she had stepped into the past. A small smile graced her lips as her fingers ran over the console, as she pictured the Doctor staring over at her with his trademark toothy smile that always seemed comforting. Now, that she was standing in the old console room, it felt like she had lost him all over again.

She was about to walk away when she saw a familiar object lying in a corner on the floor. Her eyes narrowed in curiosity, as she walked over to it, before reaching down to pick it up. As she brought it into the light, she felt tears gather in her eyes, realising that it was his trademark brown hat. Keeping it in her hands, she sat down on the floor in the darkened console room, hugging the hat close to her chest, no longer able to stop her tears.

/*\\*/*\

Mickey and Rose watched as the Doctor sat in the console chair lost in thought, neither of them sure what to do. Ten minutes had passed since Sarah left, and he hadn't said a word.

"Master, unable to detect Mistress Sarah on board the Tardis."

The doctor sprang up, looking down at the metal dog in confusion. "What do you mean she isn't in the Tardis? She hasn't left, we would have seen her"

"Insufficient data."

The Doctor ran his fingers through his hair, in nervousness and frustration.

"Is there a room she could have went to?" Mickey asked staring down at K9. "I mean it's a big ship she could be anywhere."

"Yes, but the Tardis is no longer alive, so many of the rooms and corridors won't be accessible." The Doctor answered.

"This is Sarah Jane, Doctor. I may not have known her as long as you, but I doubt something like that would stop her."

"You're right. Mickey, Rose spread out and search any rooms and corridors you come across. She has to be around here somewhere. K9 you're with me." He ordered running form the room, with K9 trudging along after him.

"Affirmative."

Rose watched him go, annoyed that he hadn't even given her a second glance.

"I don't know why we're bothering. She'll come back when she's ready."

Mickey looked over at her in disappointment, "What's your problem, Rose? Ever since we left that spaceship, you've got this massive chip in your shoulder."

"I don't have a problem. I just think we should just give Sarah Jane some space, that's all."

"Whatever. You can stay here if you want, but I'm going to help the Doctor."

"You've changed your tune. You couldn't stand the Doctor, now your acting like your best mates."

"Well, sorry for wanting to help him find the person he considers his best friend," Mickey replied hoping she didn't catch on to the true nature of the Doctors relationship with Sarah.

"He told you that?" Rose whispered feeling betrayed that she had travelled with him for a year and he hadn't even told her anything about Sarah Jane.

"He didn't have to. It's obvious from the way they act around each other. That's your problem Rose. You're so wrapped up in your own little world that you don't seem to care about those around you."

"That's not true."

"When you disappeared with the Doctor, and I was arrested on a murder charge, you didn't even bat an eyelid. Then you just wandered off again, not caring about the impact that it had on those closest to you."

"I'm sorry, alright."

"Whatever. You can stay here if you want, but you may want to get over that petty, jealous attitude, it's not an attractive quality." Mickey told her before running after the Doctor and K9.

/*\\*/*\

"Sarah!" The Doctor called as he ran from room to room hoping she would have been in one of them.

"Still no trace of Mistress Sarah, Master."

"I already gathered that, K9." He continued down the corridor, turning corner after corner until he found himself in a part of the Tardis he hadn't visited in years.

"Picking up a faint heat signature." K9's robotic voice told him as he moved towards the set of double doors, with his sensor outstretched.  
The Doctor hurried on in front, and pushed open the double doors, stopping in his tracks at seeing the old console room.

"Wait here, K9."

"Order understood."

The Doctor took a deep breath and entered the very room he had tried to forget.

"Sarah." He called out softly walking further into the room. A small whimpering sound of someone crying caused him to look to his left, seeing Sarah huddled in a corner on the floor, holding something close to her chest.

'Oh, Sarah. What have I done?' He thought sadly, sitting down next to her, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Looking at the object in her hands, he could just make out the old worn hat. The very hat he had worn years ago.

"Why are you here?"

The abruptness of her question caused him to frown.

"I came to apologise, Sarah. I shouldn't have, said what I did. I just can't help but worry about you. I know it's no excuse for the way I acted."

"No, it isn't," Sarah muttered looking over at him. "I don't need you to protect me. I know what I'm doing, I've had years of practice when I travelled with you. I'm not some newbie companion you just picked up off the street. As for reckless, you have the cheek to call anyone that when you, yourself are just as bad."

"I know. I'm just..."

"Just what?" Sarah prompted her eyes narrowing.

"Scared of losing you. I'm going to lose you one day, Sarah. I just don't want it to be this moment in time."

"That may be the case, but even after all these years you still need to work on those people skills of yours. They're still atrocious."

"I'll keep that in mind. So, am I forgiven?"

"Perhaps… this time anyway. Do it again, and you'll be in the doghouse for a long time. A very long time." She warned, giving a faint smile.

"Duly noted." He said relieved that they could put the matter behind them and move forward.

"Come on; we had best get back to Mickey and Rose, then we can explore this parallel world and hopefully fix the Tardis." He said standing up and dusting off his backside.

"Very well, any chance you help an old woman up?" She reached out her hand, while the other kept a hold of the hat.

The Doctor took her hand in his own and pulled her to her feet. "If you're old, then I must be ancient."

Sarah chuckled and took one last look around the old console room. "You know, I thought I would never get the chance to see this exact console room again. Just being here brings back so many memories. I almost don't want to leave."

"Sarah..."

"But I've realised that everything in this room is my past, but you, and what we have is my future, and that's more than enough. You can change your face and your personality, Doctor, but you can never change your feelings, emotions, and memories. They define you. And that's why no matter how many times you regenerate, you'll always be my best friend and the Time Lord I fell in love with all those years ago."

The Doctor wordlessly pulled her into his arms and held her close. "I don't deserve you, Sarah." He whispered into her neck, smelling the faint trace of jasmine from her perfume.

"What makes you think that?" She asked pulling away slightly to look at him.

"The way I've treated you over the years. Making you feel like you were insignificant and dropping you off without making sure you got home safe. Many wouldn't have stuck around as long as you have, Sarah."

"Well, I'm not most people, doctor. I'm not that easy to get rid of."

"Except when you decide to get yourself trapped in a time window."

"Oh, be quiet. You know what I mean."

"I do." He reached up and caressed the side of her face, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You're my everything, Sarah. A beacon of light that chases away the darkness and loneliness that I've felt for so long." He gently wiped the stray tear from her eye. "And for that, I will be forever grateful." He whispered before his lips covered hers, kissing her passionately. His hand came to rest on the base of her neck, holding her in place as he pressed his mouth harder against her own.

Sarah couldn't stop the small moan that escaped from her lips, as their bodies were flushed together. The Doctor's mouth became firmer and more demanding, gently pulling on hers, desperately seeking entrance.

When their tongues met, Sarah closed her eyes, feeling a ripple of desire to flow through her. The kiss was full of love, passion and desperation that took her breath away. The seconds ticked past before they finally broke for air.

"Everything you just said…"

"It's true, Sarah." He rested his forehead against Sarah's own, staring into her eyes. "All of it… it's true."

/*\\*/*\

Mickey walked through the Tardis, Rose's new attitude still occupying his thoughts. He had known Rose long enough to know when he was jealous, but it seemed there was now resentment added to the mix. He didn't know if it was due to Sarah Jane deciding to take up the Doctor's offer, or bitterness that the Time Lord seemed to be paying more attention to the older woman now that she was travelling with him again. The full situation was a time bomb waiting to happen and he was dreading the aftermath. He was no fool. He could see how Rose felt about the Doctor, but it seemed those feelings were only one-sided. It was why he had wanted the Time Lord to tell Rose as quickly as possible before she got her hopes up any more than she already had done.

"Oi! Wait up!"

Mickey stopped and turned to see Rose running up the corridor, stopping in front of him slightly out of breath.

"Finally decided to join me, have you? What happened to "giving Sarah Jane some space?"

"I was wrong. I thought about what you said, you were right. We had best find her and stick together. Besides, I want to make sure she's alright."

Mickey watched her walk past him, as she started to search the rooms. 'More like making sure the Doctors alright, so he'll use you for a shoulder to cry on.' He thought bitterly following after her.

"Where could she have got to?"

"If we knew that, we wouldn't be searching for her," Mickey called back, searching what appeared to be a storage cupboard.

"Ha, ha very funny." Rose closed the door behind her before moving onto the next one.

She couldn't have gone far. The sooner she found Sarah, the sooner she could get back to the Doctor and give him some comfort. She was sure Mickey wouldn't mind staying with the older woman. They seemed to have formed a sort of bond after all. Perhaps it would develop into something more. A part of her hoped that would be the case, then that way everyone would be happy. She would have the Doctor and Mickey would have Sarah. The possibility could work in her favour. She just needed to find a way to get them together.

As she came to the end of the corridor, she turned to see K9 standing outside the room at the end of the hall with no sign of the Doctor. Looking behind her, she was about to call out to Mickey, when he entered another room. Shaking her head, she walked towards K9, who continued to stare at the same spot on the floor, not paying her any attention.

"You cannot enter, Mistress Rose. Master wishes to be left alone."

Rose jumped and looked down at the metal dog who moved over to the entrance of the doorway reusing her entry.

"I just want to make sure he's alright."

"Detecting increased heart rate."

Rose stared into the darkness, her curiosity getting the better of her as to what was happening inside the room between the Doctor and Sarah. Her mind went into overdrive of possible scenarios, each making her want to barge past K9 and see for herself if what she was thinking was correct.

She mentally shook her head to dispel the images. She was probably overreacting for nothing. The Doctor couldn't possibly see Sarah Jane in that way. Perhaps when she was younger, there was a possibility that she and his old self could have been together. But times had changed, and the Doctor was a different man, not the same one Sarah Jane knew. The man in that room was her Doctor. Sarah Jane's had died years ago.

"Rose," Mickey called turning to the left of the corridor, seeing K9 guarding the room in front of him.

"He won't let me in," Rose replied staring down at the dog as if willing it to move.

"Yeah, well there's probably a good reason for it. We should give them space to talk. They can't do that if you go barging in there."

"Master Mickey is correct."

"I suppose." Rose reluctantly agreed, knowing there was no way she would be able to get into that room.

"Come on, Rose. They'll find us when they need us." Mickey said wearily feeling the pounding in his head starting to become worse.

Rose looked at K9 and the room one last time, before following after Mickey and heading back to the console room.

/*\\*/*\

Sarah took a step back when she heard the voices coming from outside of the old console room causing the Doctor to frown as she pulled away from him. She shook her head, looking over at the doorway, at hearing Rose, speaking to K9.

"I don't want her to find out about us this way, Doctor. It isn't fair to her. Not when we both know she has feelings for you. I hope you understand."

"My Sarah Jane, still as selfless as ever." The Doctor beamed at her. "I'll speak to Rose soon, I promise."

"I know. I've waited years for your Doctor; I can wait a little longer. Now, I think it's time we went on a little adventure in this parallel universe."

The Doctor grinned at her, "You read my mind, Miss Smith."

"But first there is something I have to." She looked down at the hat she still held in her hands.

The Doctor's grin faded slightly in understanding. "I'll give you a few moments, Sarah. I'll wait for you outside."

"Thank you." She said waiting until he had left the room, then looked down at the hat in her hands.

Tracing her fingers off the top of the hat, she walked over to the old console and placed it on top.

"You were a tough act to follow, but I see so much of your traits in him, that perhaps… you haven't gone after all." She wiped the tears from her eyes and gave a sad chuckle. "If only you could see me now, you would be telling me to pull myself together. Perhaps one day I'll be able to see that version of you again. Goodbye, Doctor, I'll never forget you." She finished softly, taking one last look around the room, before walking out, and never looking back.

The Doctor turned when he heard her approach, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a one-armed hug, as they walked back towards the console room, with K9 trudging beside them.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better, lighter. It's like a weight has been lifted and I've made peace with past ghosts. Now, I can finally move on. Does that make sense?"

"More than you know. That incarnation, he's still a part of me, Sarah…"

"I know. I can see parts of him shining through now and again, especially when you smile. I always did love your smile."

"Not to mention the scarf."

"Yes, I loved the scarf too. Though I don't think it would go well with your current outfit choice."

"Hey, what's wrong with my outfits?"

"Wearing trainers with suits, Doctor? I think you may start a new fashion trend."

The Doctor gave her a mock scowl, "You're one to talk with that Andy Pandy outfit you wore back in the day."

Sarah chuckled, "Yes, it was a bit outlandish wasn't it now thinking back on it. I stored it away in the attic after you dropped me off and hadn't looked at it since."

"It's probably best that it stays there." He said wincing when Sarah playfully smacked him on the chest.

"Cheeky. For that, I have a good mind for you make a quick stop at mine so I can pick it up."

"Please tell me you're joking?"

"Obviously, besides I quite like my current style." She said with a smirk, "Maybe people will take me more seriously now this time around."

"Oh, I don't doubt it." He replied removing his arm from her shoulders, letting her enter the console room first.

Upon entering, Sarah saw Mickey and Rose whispering to each other in what seemed to be an intense discussion.

"Hope we're not interrupting?" The Doctor called startling Mickey and Rose.

"How are you feeling Sarah Jane?" Mickey asked walking over to them. "I hope alien boy here apologised."

"Hey! What do you take me for?" The Doctor cried in mock outrage.

"I'm feeling… better. And yes, he did apologise." Sarah smiled softly looking over at the Doctor out of the corner of her eye.

"I'm glad. Nothing worse when the parents fight." Mickey smirked.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Sarah said with her hands on her hips.

"Well, out of the four of us, you and the Doctor are the oldest." He smirked when Sarah whacked him on the arm causing him to laugh.

"Less of the old."

"Yes, Ma'am." He mock saluted causing Sarah to smile and the Doctor to roll his eyes.

"Right, well if you're quite finished with the insults, we've got a parallel universe to explore."

"About time. I was wondering if we were ever going to leave here." Rose chimed in picking up her zipper that was laying on the metal rail. "Ready when you are, Doctor."

"You three go ahead, I'll meet you outside, I just need to get my jacket."

The Doctor was reluctant to leave her on her own, but he also knew Sarah wouldn't like him treating her like a china doll.

"Alright, but try and be quick. Not every day you get to visit a parallel world."

Sarah shook her head, "I'll only be a few moments. Try and keep out of trouble until I return."

"You make it sound like I attract trouble on purpose."

"That's because you usually do," Rose smirked.

The Doctor frowned in mock disapproval at the jibe. It wasn't his fault if they ran into trouble. He had warned them of the dangers of travelling with him when they first agreed to board the Tardis. That still didn't stop him from feeling responsible when his companions were hurt or in danger.

"Any more talk like that, and you can stay in the Tardis." He warned.

Mickey laughed at seeing Rose's look of disbelief no doubt wondering if the Time Lord was serious or not. His face was emotionless as he stared at Rose who seemed to be unsure of what to do.

"You can't be serious?" Rose exclaimed in disbelief.

"Serious about what?" Sarah asked having returned now wearing her blue jacket.

"The Doctor leaving, Rose on the Tardis." Mickey voiced with a grin.

Sarah shook her head, "Really, you're still using that argument?"

The Doctor turned, "What? It's a good argument?" He defended himself.

Sarah rolled her eyes then looked over at Rose, "Don't listen to him, he's just defending his ego because he knows himself he's a trouble magnet."

"Sarah, you're supposed to be on my side."

Sarah chuckled, "You know I'm always on your side, I'm just stating the facts."

The Doctor mumbled something under his breath about 'women sticking together' then walked over to the Tardis doors, "Well, come on you lot, don't just stand there."

The three companions followed after the Doctor, Sarah and Mickey looking on in bemusement at seeing the Doctor sulk like a child, while Rose, followed after them in a daze.

Stepping outside Rose looked up at the sky, seeing the mass of zeppelins in the sky that Mickey and Sarah had witnessed earlier.

"It's beautiful," Rose exclaimed looking up at the sky in wonderment.

"I was right though, wasn't I? This is a parallel Earth."

"Must be." The Doctor muttered absentmindedly.

"So, a parallel world where..."

"Oh, come on. You see it on films. Like an alternative to our world where everything's the same but a little bit different, like... I dunno - traffic lights are blue, Tony Blair never got elected...

"And he's still alive..." Rose whispered gazing up at the poster that showed her father, Pete Tyler, holding a bottle of Vitex "A parallel world and my dad's still alive..."

Rose walked towards the poster, with the Doctor, Sarah and Mickey following behind her.

"Don't look at it, Rose. Don't even think about it. This is not your world." The Doctor told her sternly, while Sarah and Mickey looked at each other in worry.

"But he's my dad... and..." She reached to touch the poster, causing the picture of Pete to spring to life.

"Trust me on this." Pete winked giving them the thumbs up.

Rose took a few steps back, unsure of what to make of what she was witnessing. "Oh, that's weird. But he's real!

"Trust me on this."

"He's a success!" Rose said happily. "He was always planning these daft little schemes, health-food drinks, and stuff. Everyone said they were useless. But he did it."

Sarah looked at Rose understanding on some level what she must be feeling. She had the chance to see her father. Her very much alive father again. It made her wonder if her own parents were still alive in this universe. It was tempting. Too tempting, and she shook the thought from her mind. Even If they were still alive, they weren't her parents, and she wouldn't be their Sarah.

She came out of her thoughts when she heard the urgency in the Doctor's voice, watching as he grasped Rose by the shoulders and bent slightly to look into her eyes.

"Rose, if you've ever trusted me, then listen to me now."

Rose glanced back at the poster.

"Stop looking at it!"

Rose reluctantly met the Doctor's eyes.

"Your father's dead. He died when you were six months old. That is not your Pete. That is _a_ Pete. For all we know, he's got his own Jackie, his own Rose. His own daughter who is someone else, but not you."

Rose's eyes started to wander back to the poster, but she tried to stop herself, knowing that the Doctor was right, but it didn't mean she had to like his logic.

"You can't see him. Not ever."

Rose gave a tiny nod, as Mickey placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, while the poster of Pete continued to taunt her repeatedly.

/*\\*/*\

Sarah watched from a distance as Mickey and Rose were talking in hushed tones when the Doctor came to stand next to her.

"How is she?"

"She's not letting it go, Sarah. We've been in a similar situation just over a year ago."

Sarah looked up at him, "What happened?"

"She wanted to go back to the day her father was killed. So, I took her thinking what's the worst that could happen. The first time we arrived, Rose was in shock, that she couldn't move. She begged me to try again, so I did. When we arrived the next time, I warned her what would happen if our past selves saw us, but she didn't listen. As soon as the car hit her father, she ran out from where we were hiding and crossed her own timeline. Well, you can imagine what happened after that. There was a dead man now alive, and it changed the fabric of time. The only way for the timelines to right themselves was for Pete to die. She had to watch her own father die, knowing there was nothing she could do to stop it."

"Now, he's alive you're worried in case she will go looking for him?"

"Something along those lines. Rose can be quite stubborn when she wants to be."

Sarah knew just how stubborn Rose could be after their first meeting. She refused to back down from a challenge, and while she admired such a trait, it could prove to be dangerous in their current situation. The younger woman had already lost her father twice over; it was only logical that she would want to see him alive and well.

"I can see where she is coming from. The temptation is there; I can't help but wonder if my parents are still alive in this universe."

"You know you can't…"

"I know." She whispered sadly, "Besides even if they were, they wouldn't be my mine. For all I know I could either be dead in this universe or not exist at all."

"Don't think like that." The Doctor chastised not wanting to think of a universe without Sarah in it. It left an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"We both know it's a possibility. And I've accepted that, so you don't need to worry about me running off. I'm not going to go looking for myself or my parents."

The Doctor never said anything. Instead, he reached out and grasped Sarah's hand in his own offering her some comfort.

"Do you think, Rose will be alright?"

"Eventually, but the sooner we leave this parallel world, the better I'll feel."

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked looking up at him.

"Something is coming. Something big and I have a feeling we're going to be caught in the middle of it."

Sarah hesitantly turned away from the Doctor and looked up to the Zeppelin filled the sky, wondering if the Doctor was just paranoid. She couldn't stop the small shiver that passed through her body when she saw one of the zeppelins fly over her head, with an unusual logo stamped on the bottom.

"What do you think that symbol means?"

The Doctor looked up at the symbol, with an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"If I didn't know any better, and I do know better. I would say, we're in for a whole world of trouble."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

...

Sarah Jane watched the Doctor as he fiddled about with the console, not once looking in her general direction since they had re-entered the TARDIS. She would have been lying if she wasn't worried about him. They had left Mickey outside with Rose, hoping the younger man would keep an eye on her. The last thing they needed was for Rose to wander off into the unknown when none of them knew what could be waiting for them.

She came out of her thoughts when she heard the Doctor slam his hands on the console, then kicked it in frustration before sauntering over to the chair with a scowl on his face.

"Did that help?" Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Did that hurt?"

"Yes. Ow." He muttered painfully as he sat down and began to rub his foot.

Sarah shook her head, walking over to where he sat. Kneeling down in front of him, she placed her hands over his own prompting him to look at her.

"I know you're worried, but you need to have more faith in Rose. Mickey is with her; I doubt he will let her run off." She gave him an encouraging smile.

"Yes, but all it takes is one small temptation and boom, end of the world as we know it. I've been there myself, Sarah. You saw it first hand at Deffrey Vale when Finch offered me the ability to change the universe, to save everyone, even restore the Time Lords and have you and Rose by my side forever, never growing old. It would have been so easy to have said yes."

"You didn't though."

"Only because of you and what you said to me that day. If you hadn't been there, I don't want to think about what would have happened."

"I've known you for years, Doctor. I know you would have done the right thing."

The Doctor gave her a sad smile, "You put too much faith in me, Sarah. If only you knew the things I've done, your perception of me would change."

"I said I know you, Doctor, I never said you were a saint. You have to make the hard decisions because no one else will. I know it doesn't seem fair, but it's true. All these years you've had the universe on your shoulders; lost people you've cared about along the way. You may think you've always been alone Doctor, but you couldn't be more wrong. The worlds you've seen, the people you've met, the lives you've saved- people never forget you. If they have, it's not been by their choice. You've touched the lives of so many people, Doctor that you'll never be alone."

The Doctor stared at Sarah not knowing what to say. He had never thought about it that way. He may be the only Time Lord left, but he had made a family of sorts for himself along the way without even realising.

"What would I do without you, Sarah?

"Oh, I don't know. You seem to have done pretty fine without me for the past thirty or so years. Minus the half a dozen regenerations since the last time we met."

"Yeah, sorry about that. You think after all those regenerations I would have been at least ginger at one point."

"Ginger? I can't picture you being ginger, Doctor. Besides, I've grown quite fond of your current incarnation."

The Doctor was about to reply when he heard the doors to the TARDIS open, and Mickey walked in with no Rose in sight.

"Where's Rose? I told you to keep an eye on her!"

"She's alright…" Mickey said dismissively.

"She goes wandering off, parallel world, it's like a gingerbread house! All those temptations calling out!" The Doctor snapped.

"Oh, so it's just Rose then? Nothing out there to tempt even Sarah Jane or me?"

"Well, I don't know, I can't worry about everything..."

"For all, you know there could be a human version of yourself here, the one Sarah Jane travelled with all those years ago," Mickey exclaimed staring over at the Doctor refusing to back down.

The Doctor's face paled as he watched Sarah stand up almost in a daze. "That's impossible." He muttered, trying to let Mickey's words have an impact on him.

"Is it? How do you know?" Mickey defended.

"Right, both of you that's enough!" Sarah looked at both men. "Arguing is getting us nowhere. We have more pressing matters to deal with." She looked over at Mickey. "Where's Rose?"

"I left her on one of the benches not too far away from the TARDIS. I think she wanted some time alone to process everything."

"While I can understand that it's a shock, she shouldn't be left alone. So, if you two want to continue arguing go right ahead, but I'm going to check on her. Try not to kill each other while I'm gone."

Mickey and the Doctor watched as she left the TARDIS, leaving the two of them feeling like small children.

"Has she always been like that?"

The Doctor smiled fondly, "Oh, you have no idea, Mickey. Even in her twenties, she was a force to be reckoned with. I don't know how many times she put me in my place and any enemies we met as well."

"I can imagine."

The Doctor ran his fingers through his hair, "She's right though. We do have more pressing matters to be dealing with. We're not meant to be here. The TARDIS draws its power from the universe, but it's the wrong universe. It's like diesel in a petrol engine."

Mickey walked over and sat down next to the Doctor. "But... I've seen it in comics. People are hopping from one alternate world to another; it's easy."

The Doctor gave him a withering look, "Not in the real world. It used to be easy. When the Time Lords kept their eye on everything, you could hop between realities, home in time for tea. Then they died, took it all with them. The walls of reality closed, the worlds were sealed. Everything became that bit less kind."

"Then how did we get here?"

"I dunno. Accident? Should've been impossible, now we're trapped."

The two lapsed into silence when suddenly the Doctor caught a faint green light from the corner of his eye beneath the console.

"What's that?"

Mickey looked at where he's pointing wondering if he's gone insane. "What?"

"That there, is that a reflection? It's not."

Mickey finally saw the faint light as he and the Doctor crouch down to stare at it.

It's a light!" The Doctor cried excitedly. Is it? Is that a light? I think that's light! That's all we need!"

They both removed the grilling from the floor, seeing the light glow a bit brighter.

"We've got power! Mickey, we've got power! Ha!"

Mickey continued to stare at the light in hope. They were finally one step closer to getting back home.

/*\\*/*\

Rose stared out into the Thames, deep in thought as the zeppelins chugged softly in the sky. Looking up, she watched as one flew low over her head, with a strange logo on the bottom. Rose stared up at it for a few moments, only looking away when she heard her phone emit a series of beeps. Taking it out her pocket, she started to read the message on the screen for what appeared to be a free trial for an internet network. Clicking on the link, she watched as it brought up news footage of John Lumic returning to Britain.

Rose watched the report with intrigue as the reporter started to discuss Cybuus industries, and how Lumic was the inventor of high-content metal. She glanced back up at the zeppelin realising who must be inside it.

"How are you feeling?"

Rose jumped at not having heard Sarah Jane approach, watching as the older woman sat down on the bench next to her.

"Alright, given the circumstances," Rose muttered looking back at her phone and shutting off the link.

"I know it can't be easy for you, but the Doctor is worried about you, I'm sure you know that. He only has your best interests at heart. He doesn't want to see you get hurt."

"And I won't. I just want to see my dad. To see what he's like in this universe and if he's still the same man. If you were in my position, say you had the chance to meet someone again you thought you lost, wouldn't you want the chance to see them one last time?"

Sarah looked away as she thought of Mickey's earlier words back in the TARDIS, imagining such a scenario, but it would never happen. She had already said her goodbyes; there was nothing more to be said or done.

"If you asked me that earlier before this happened, I would have said yes, but even if I did meet that person again, it wouldn't be them. If anything, it would feel like I've lost them all over again."

"You don't know that."

"Rose, this isn't our world. We don't belong here."

"You're starting to sound like him," Rose muttered bitterly.

"Alright, let's say you visit your dad, and he welcomes you with open arms. Maybe even offers you to stay here in this world, would you? When you know, you have a mother waiting back home for you. Would you leave her, to live the perfect life with Pete and your mother in this world, assuming he is married to your mother of course? Can you honestly sit here, and tell me you would you throw away everything your real mum and dad have given you, for a Pete in this world who doesn't even know you exist?"

Rose looked away, not wanting the older woman to see how much her words impacted her.

"I'm not saying this to hurt you, Rose. I just don't want to see you get hurt." Sarah finished softly.

"I appreciate the offer, but you aren't changing my mind."

Sarah looked at her sadly, "You don't even know anything about him, or where he lives."

"No, but I can search." She quickly typed away on her phone. "Cybus network gave me a free trial."

Sarah narrowed her eyes, "Cybus network? Why would an internet network give out free trials?"

"Maybe they're promoting a new service?" Rose replied absentmindedly never taking her eyes off her phone. "Ah ha, found him."

Sarah watched as the smile fell from her face, knowing it wasn't the information she had been hoping for. She inwardly sighed wishing for once in her life that people would listen to her.

/*\\*/*\

Mickey looked on as the Doctor started pulling out various cables and wires underneath the console deliriously happy.

"It's alive!"

"What is it?" Mickey asked in apprehension.

"It's nothing. It's tiny. One of those insignificant little power cells that no one ever notices, and it's clinging to life. But with one little ounce of reality tucked away inside."

"Enough to get us home?"

"Not yet." The Doctor replied, picking up the power cell and sat back on the small set of stairs under the grilling. "I need to charge it up." He held it carefully, cupped in both hands.

"We could go outside and latch it up to the national grid!

"Wrong sort of energy. It's gotta come from our universe."

"But we don't have anything."

"There's me." He replied blowing gently on the power cell causing it to glow brightly. "I just gave away ten years of my life. Worth every second!"

The Doctor and Mickey stared at the power cell with huge grins, when suddenly the light started to fade.

"It's going out. Is that okay?"

"It's on a recharging cycle. It grows brighter again, and then back to dim and so on. It'll loop around, power back up and be ready to take us home in, oh, twenty-four hours?" He said kissing the power cell.

"So, that gives us twenty-four hours on a parallel world?"

"Surely! As long as we keep our heads down, shouldn't be a problem." He tossed the power cell into the air and caught it again. "Let's go and tell Rose and Sarah." The Doctor ran towards the door, ordering K9 to stand guard.

"Affirmative."

The Doctor and Mickey left the TARDIS and saw Rose and Sarah Jane sitting on one of the many benches along the embankment. The Doctor ran over to them with a massive grin on his face.

"There you two are. I managed to fix it." He held out the power cell for the two women to inspect.

"It's beautiful," Sarah muttered in awe, as she ran her fingers over the cell. "How did you manage it?"

"A little bit of energy from myself, and voila. It's currently recharging."

"How long will it take?" Sarah asked finally tearing her eyes off the cell.

"Twenty-four hours, then we're flying back to reality."

Sarah smiled at him. "Well, it seems we're stuck here for twenty-four hours."

"Yup." He said popping the 'p' then looked over at Rose, who hadn't even glanced his way since his and Mickey's arrival.

His grin faded when he noticed the mobile in Rose's hand, and he looked at Sarah who merely shook her head sadly.

"What is it?"

"My phone connected. There's this Cybus Network; it finds your phone. It gave me Internet access."

The Doctor squeezed himself in between the two women. "Rose, whatever it says, this is the wrong world."

"I don't exist," muttered Rose sadly.

"What do you mean?"

"There's no Rose Tyler. I was never born. There's Pete, my dad, and Jackie... he still married mum... but they never had kids."

"Give me that phone." He reached out trying to snatch the mobile only for Rose to pull it away from his grasp.

"They're rich. They've got a house and cars, and everything they want. But they haven't got me." She told him, her voice breaking.

Standing up, she started to walk away from the bench.

"Rose."

Turning around, she faced the Doctor with determination. "I've gotta see him."

"You can't!"

"I just wanna see him."

"I can't let you!" The Doctor replied getting up off the bench.

"You just said twenty-four hours! That's more than enough time to go and see him, then return to the TARDIS."

"You can't become their daughter, that's not the way it works! Mickey, tell her," demanded the Doctor as he turned to look at the younger man.

"Twenty-four hours, yeah?"

"You can't be serious?" Sarah stood up and looked over at Mickey. "We need to stick together. Wandering off isn't going to do us any favours."

The Time Lord looked at Mickey in bewilderment, "Where're you going?"

"You're not my keeper, Doctor. I can do what I want!"

"I've got the address and everything," Rose called walking backward with every word.

The Doctor looked back and forth frantically between the two of them.

"Stay where you are, both of you! Rose, come back here! Mickey, come back here right now!

"I just wanna see him," Rose called.

"Yeah, I've got things to see and all." Mickey declared.

"Like what?"

"Well, you don't know anything about me, do ya? It's always about Rose. I'm just a spare part. The only person who seems to know I exist is Sarah Jane." Mickey shouted before walking away in the opposite direction.

Sarah ran after him and placed a hand on his shoulder causing him to turn around. "Don't do this, Mickey."

"I'm sorry, but I just need some time alone."

"I'm sorry. I've gotta go. Rose said walking away. The Doctor turned from Rose to Mickey as they both started to walk away from him not knowing which way to turn. He looked over at Sarah who seemed to be just as lost as he was currently feeling.

"Go on then, Doctor?" he said gesturing to Rose. "No choice, is there? You can only chase after one of us, and it's never gonna be me, is it?"

Rose stopped walking backward, turned and started to leave.

"Sarah, go with Mickey. We don't know what's out there. I want you both back here in twenty-four hours!" He said the last part more for Mickey's benefit. "Take this." He held out a mobile for her to take. "Call me if you need me."

Sarah nodded and pocketed the mobile. "Be careful, Doctor." She told him before following after Mickey.

"You too, Sarah." He whispered staring at her for a few seconds, then turned and ran after Rose.

Sarah jogged to catch up with Mickey. "Where are you going?"

"You really wanna know?"

Sarah stopped and walked beside him. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't." Sarah gave him an encouraging smile.

"When I was little, I didn't exactly have the best childhood. My father left to go to Spain and never came back. After that, my mother just couldn't cope, so I moved in with my gran, who brought me up. Even though she was blind, she still used to slap me silly when I misbehaved. She was a great woman."

"What happened to her?"

"About five years ago, she tripped over the tear in her stair carpet and fell down the stairs. My gran died all because I never fixed that stupid tear, even though she had asked me countless times to fix it. I never did. I've blamed myself ever since."

"I'm sorry, Mickey, I know it doesn't mean much, but It wasn't your fault," Sarah told him softly. "Is that what you meant by you have got things to see. You want to see if you're gran is still alive in this universe?"

"I thought if I see her again and apologise it will give me some closure."

Sarah smiled, "then let's see if we can find her."

/*\\*/*\

At the air slip, Pete Tyler watched as Lumic's zeppelin touched down, creating a small gust of wind, just as a car pulls up and three men get out. Pete walked towards them, with a smile.

"Mr Tyler. Couldn't the matter wait until tonight?"

"Mr President," Pete said shaking the man's hand. "Honoured. I'm on the fast-track program. Cybus Industries have pulled up my company, so I'm part of the firm now."

"Some people say they've bought my Government." The president said which caused Pete to laugh.

"I've never heard anybody say that. Never." He replied giving him a wink and a thumbs up. "You can trust me on this."

"I tried your drink. That Vitex stuff. It tastes like Pop."

"Well, it is Pop."

The President seemed nonplussed by Pete's attempt at humour. "You made money by selling a health-food drink into a sick world. Not quite the ordinary Joe you appear to be, are you?"

Pete didn't know what to say, which caused the President to sigh.

"He does like to keep us waiting, doesn't he?" The President muttered walking off leaving no choice but for Pete to follow him.

They stopped at the foot of the steps that were descending from the zeppelin when the President once again decides to speak.

"Tell me - you've had a chance to observe John Lumic more than most. What's your opinion?"

Pete seemed to be taken off guard at the question, as he quickly thought of an answer. "He's very sharp, I'd say. Sharp as ever. Very clever man. Brilliant, in fact."

"Then, you don't think he's insane?"

"That's not the word I would've used, no," Pete replied beginning to feel uncomfortable with the line of questioning.

"I see." Said the president as he began to climb the steps into the zeppelin that would take them to Lumic.

/*\\*/*\

Sarah and Mickey had been walking for over an hour, leaving the majority of the busy city behind. She had no trouble keeping up with her younger companion; she just wished her feet could say the same. They turned the corner, only to stop in their tracks at seeing the military barring the road ahead.

"What do you think is going on here?" Mickey whispered looking around.

"I'm not too sure." Sarah looked at the building next to her seeing the same logo that was at the bottom of one of the Zeppelins she had seen earlier at the embankment.

"Looks like trouble?" Mickey muttered seeing a soldier approach.

"Are we all right to get past?"

"Yeah. No bother. Curfew doesn't start 'til ten."

"There's a curfew?" Sarah asked, sharing a confused look with Mickey.

The soldier looked at them incredulously, "Course there is. Where have you been living? Up there with the toffs?" He looked up at the zeppelins in the sky.

Mickey and Sarah follow his gaze. "I wish," Mickey muttered as the soldier lifted the barrier for them, allowing them to go on their way.

Once they were a reasonable distance away, Sarah tugged on Mickey's arm signaling him to stop.

"Woah, why have we stopped?"

"Something strange is going on here, Mickey. Why would there be a curfew, better yet why would the military close off the full street for one building? It makes no sense."

"Gas leak, perhaps?" replied Mickey wondering where she was going with this.

"That doesn't explain the curfew," Sarah muttered to herself. "Come on, the sooner we arrive at your gran's the better I'll feel."

Mickey didn't question her further as he walked on while Sarah followed at a slower pace. Taking out her mobile, she quickly typed a quick text to the Doctor. If something was going on, she at least wanted to give him heads up.

She had just pressed send when Mickey called out to her asking if she was coming. Pocketing her phone, she followed after Mickey, hoping that her instincts were wrong.

/*\\*/*\

Rose and the Doctor walked down another street, as the Time Lord found out more about Mickey's life. He couldn't help but feel guilty that he never paid more attention to the younger man. It was no wonder Sarah had taken a shining to him. He had done similar to Sarah when she travelled with him. Never listening to her needs because he was too occupied with something that seemed more interesting.

"I never knew." Said the Doctor softly.

"Well, you never asked."

"You never said!"

"That's Mickey. I suppose I... we just... take him for granted. Do you think she's still alive, his gran?"

"Could be. Like I said, parallel world, gingerbread house. We need to get out of here as fast as we can." The Doctor told her, just as he heard a beep come from his pocket. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the mobile, seeing a message from Sarah.

"Who is that then?"

"Sarah." The Doctor replied absentmindedly as he read the message.

"Of course it is," Rose muttered under her breath. "So what did she say?"

"The military has closed off the road. Don't know why or if it's just the one, but will find out. Be careful."

"It may be nothing," Rose said watching as he paid her no attention as he typed a reply.

"Or it may be something." He said pressing send. "I would rather she or Mickey didn't get themselves killed."

As soon as he finished his sentence, a low alarm echoed around them, causing them to look around seeing the passerby's suddenly freeze.

"Still think it's nothing?" He asked her confused.

"What are they all doing?"

"They've stopped..." The Doctor walked over beside one man to see his earpiece flashed and beeped quietly.

"It's the earpieces... like Bluetooth attachments, but everyone's seems to be connected."

"It's on my phone. It's automatic, look. It's downloading. Is this what they're all getting?"

The Doctor peered over her shoulder and put his specs on as Rose scrolled through the "daily downloads.

"News... international news... sport... weather..."

"They get it direct. Downloaded right into their heads."

"TV schedules, lottery numbers..."

"Everyone shares the same information." He said taking the phone from Rose. "Daily download published by Cybus Industries." They watched as the download scrolls to _'Joke'_ causing everyone around them to chuckle before going on their merry way.

The Doctor and Rose stared, utterly baffled as the crowd carried on as though nothing had happened.

"You lot, you're obsessed. You'd do anything for the latest upgrade."

"Oi... not my lot. Different world, remember..."

"It's not so far from your world. This place is only parallel. But it also means Sarah was right; something is certainly off about this full scenario." He said while pressing a few buttons on the phone.

"Oh, look at that. Cybus Industries owns just about every company in Britain, including Vitex. Mr Pete Tyler's very well connected."

Rose doesn't reply but instead hung off his arm smiling innocently giving him puppy-dog-eyes.

The Doctor sighed, "Oh, okay. I give up." He tossed the phone back to her. "Let's go and see your father." He only hoped he wouldn't regret his decision.


End file.
